Recent Profile Visitors

If you’re asking for drop zone financing advice here, you’re not ready to buy a drop zone. IMHO
Do you have a good DZO friend that has been around a while that can mentor you through the process?
There are about 101 things to review before purchasing, or starting a DZ from scratch.
A nicely run DZ in a good location can be very lucrative.
Signed,
recovering dzo

I spoke with Gary many, many times by phone before we ever met in person.
We discussed an array of issues in the sport and also discussed numerous folks that were running some scam DZs.
When we finally met at a DZO conference we laughed over a few beers about all sorts of stuff and hit it off even better in person.
We had some difference of opinions but we respected each other’s positions.
We continued to speak often about all sorts of issues.
He had the backs of small DZs and USPA members for sure.
Fly Free my friend...

Jerry,
I think there are only two ways the HOF and Museum stay viable and open for the long haul.
Build at a large warm weather DZ. Make a nice exhibit hall. Put in a banquet facility that can be rented out for all kinds of events. Host the yearly inductions and dinner there. Keep it open 3 days a week with volunteers.
or...
Put it at an existing air museum that gets a lot of annual visitors.
Some donors are getting very frustrated.

The BOD actually owes the membership an explanation. I know there has been buyer’s remorse from some BOD members that voted yes to the donations.
This was presented as “If the USPA donates, the other national organizations like CSPA, BPA and others would donate”. As far as I know, this hasn’t happened from the other associations.
Our competition teams beg for funding and DZOs across the land are under attack from the NIMBY crowds. Our dues should fund those situations.
I have spoken at great length with my friend Jim McCormick about their plans for the museum. It’s currently a very poor business model that will need $400,000 to $500,000 in yearly contributions to stay open.
This was a poor use of our dues,IMHO.
I am all in on a museum, and HOF, and have donated privately to it. However this isn’t a wise USPA funding situation in my opinion.

No one operates in Nicaragua.
We have three active DZs in Costa Rica.
Skydive Pura Vida -David Major is the DZO
Desafio Vertical- David Clark is the DZO
Skydive Costa Rica/Tropical Skydivers-Arnold Andre is the DZO
Email them.

I can tell you from personal experience and past history, the USPA's response to a non-members recent incident, is viewed by the powers to be as solely a power grab to ensure dominance and control considering the FAA's "memorandum of understanding." The fact that tandem operations are NOT under anyone's sole regulatory control, and the duty of certain government agencies to "protect the public from faulty amusement park type "rides," has not gone un-noticed.
ChrisD, Do you ever read what you post?????
FARs §105.45 Use of tandem parachute systems.

I spoke for a very long time with my pal Jim McCormick. He was one of the folks that pitched the donation idea to the BOD.
Here are some facts.
Ifly agreed to donate some space in a yet to be built wind tunnel.
The museum folks want to raise $14,000,000 for the project.
There is no plan B, such as an existing aviation museum or drop zone location.
A consultant from Boston told them 65,000 visitors would pay each year to visit it and Orlando is a great location due to the amount of tourism. That’s 178 paying visitors per day, 365 days per year.
They plan on hiring about 21 employees.
There is an interactive map planned where people can find the closest group member drop zone to their home to make a jump.
After opening, they will still need an anticipated $300,000 to $400,000 in donations to stay open.
The hope is that after the USPA agreed to funding, that other national associations would follow. Maybe some foreign jumpers can let us know if that has happened with their associations.
I have many good friends that are involved in the project. I agree that we need a museum and I think the HOF is a nice add on. I have donated privately to the museum.
However,
I think usuing USPA dues, no matter how large or small, is not a proper use of our money.
We could start an entire thread on what difficulties our sport currently faces, and what is coming down the road to affect skydiving in the USA. Unfortunately, I think we’re going to need that money sooner than later.

My recent letter to Parachutists mag now has some of my friends upset with me.
. I think it would be great if Jim McCormick would post their official museum plans and projected costs here for a better informed membership.
A museum is a great idea, but not with USPA $$$. IMHO